All posts by viking210

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Easton, MD – Fire sprinklers contains fire to exterior loading dock of commercial building; No injuries reported

Authorities say several people were able to escape a late Wednesday night fire that caused a combined half a million dollars in damage to a commercial building in Easton.

The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office said the blaze broke out shortly after 10 p.m. at Adams Publishing Group (APG) Media of Chesapeake LLC, located at 29088 Airpark Drive. 

It took 42 firefighters from the Easton Volunteer Fire Department and assisting companies approximately an hour to get the fire under control. 

The fire caused an estimated $50,000 in damage to the structure and another $450,000 in damage to its contents. There were no reported injuries. 

The building’s smoke alarm was present and activated. Additionally, its fire alarm and fire sprinkler system were present and activated. 

Deputy state fire marshals said the fire was contained to the exterior loading dock area of the commercial building. Several employees were working inside of the building at the time of the fire, who were able to evacuate the building after the fire alarm activation.

Anyone with information pertaining to the fire is asked to contact the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Upper Eastern Region Office at 410-822-7609.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Villa Park, IL – Sprinkler system helps put out fire after oily rags ignite; No injuries reported

Villa Park Fire Department officials said no one was injured when oily rags ignited late Monday at a business that specializes in cleaning restaurant linens and uniforms.

Firefighters were called to the business on the 1000 block of North Villa Avenue just before 9 p.m., Chief Ron Rakosnik said.

Firefighters encountered smoke inside the building and a sprinkler system had been activated. Firefighters spent about an hour on scene to make sure there were no hot spots.

The business had been closed for the day and no one was inside when firefighters arrived.

Fire officials estimated about $3,000 in damage and the building did not sustain structural damage. Rakosnik said the business was expected to reopen Tuesday.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Warrenville, IL – Fire sprinklers kept fire in check at construction business until firefighters arrived; No injuries reported

A fire at a construction business in Warrenville has been ruled accidental, authorities said Monday.

The fire began about 10:30 p.m. Friday on the 30W200 block of Butterfield Road, when firefighters were alerted that something was wrong by an automatic alarm, Warrenville Fire Protection District Assistant Chief Andy Dina said in a news release.

The first crews made it to the scene six minutes after the alarm, then called in extra forces, Dina said.

Once a structure fire response team assembled, including personnel from the Warrenville fire district, West Chicago Fire Protection District, Wheaton Fire Department, Winfield Fire Protection District and Warrenville Police Department, crews brought a hose inside to extinguish the fire.

Dina said an automatic fire sprinkler system kept the blaze in check until firefighters arrived. He said crews put out the fire quickly, then ventilated the building and checked to ensure the flames hadn’t spread to adjoining units. No one was injured.

Investigators on Monday wrapped up their interviews and their probe into the cause of the fire, determining it was accidental, Dina said.

Apartment Building, Residential

Oak Bluffs, MA – Sprinkler system helps extinguish grease fire in apartment above restaurant; No injuries reported

A grease fire that started from a tenant cooking in one of the four upstairs apartments of Linda Jean’s Restaurant in Oak Bluffs Wednesday led to water damage on both floors, according to Oak Bluffs Deputy Fire Chief Manny Rose. The fire only burned inside the second story apartment, and there was no fire damage to the downstairs restaurant, although there was water in the restaurant. Rose said the fire only went so far as burning the cabinets and a small portion of the upstairs ceiling. 

“Someone was cooking upstairs and got an oil fire going, it must have kind of exploded in their face, but no one was injured,” Rose said. 

Rose acknowledged the role the effective fire suppression system played in putting out the fire. “It’s good to see some sprinkler systems that really work,” Rose said.

He also thanked Tisbury emergency personnel for their assistance in the entire process.

“It was a fast response from Oak Bluffs, and a great response from both towns,” Rose said. “I think they [Tisbury] deserve to be recognized for their help in providing station coverage.”

After the fire was extinguished (mainly by the sprinkler system), Rose said the majority of the work was making sure the scene was safe and cleaned up. After The Times responded to the fire, everything had already been cleaned up, apart from some water that was being swept out of Linda Jean’s by an employee.

Linda Jean’s is open for business. 

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Santa Monica, CA – Hotel room fire controlled by sprinkler system after microwave caught on fire

A small fire broke out inside a Santa Maria hotel room Tuesday morning, injuring one man and causing significant flooding from the sprinkler system, according to a spokesman. 

Crews received an alert for a fire inside a second-story room of the Hampton Inn and Suites located at the corner of North Broadway and Preisker Lane shortly before 5 a.m., according to Santa Maria Deputy Fire Chief Todd Tuggle. 

The blaze initially triggered a smoke alarm and was quickly followed by a water flow alarm, which is connected to the alarm company and alerted the Fire Department. The Department sent two engines, a truck and a battalion chief to the scene. 

Upon arriving, firefighters noted smoke and located the hotel room with the fire, which was kept in check by the sprinkler system but was eventually put out by crews. 

Additionally, firefighters found a man in his 30s in the hotel lobby who was pulled out of the smoke-filled room by a bystander awakened by the alarms, Tuggle said. 

The man was treated by firefighters for smoke inhalation, abrasions and minor lacerations, then transported to Marian Regional Medical Center via American Medical Response ambulance for further treatment and released. 

An investigation revealed that the room was being rented out by a good Samaritan for a homeless veteran, who was microwaving something and lost track of time, according to Tuggle, causing the microwave to burst into flames and catch the desk on fire. 

The man became trapped in the hotel room and tried to escape out of the window, suffering lacerations in the process. 

Tuggle said the sprinkler system caused significant damage to the room, with the adjacent room and downstairs lobby also suffering significant water damage. 

Two more Santa Maria Fire engines and an investigator and a Santa Barbara County District Attorney arson task force investigator also responded to the scene, Tuggle said. 

“We are currently understaffed in our investigations divisions,” Tuggle said, adding that the District Attorney’s investigator assists with fires that cause significant damage and start under suspicious circumstances. 

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Riverside, CA – Warehouse sprinkler system keeps fire in check

Firefighters Sunday made quick work of a fire inside a warehouse in Riverside that was held in check by the building’s sprinkler system.

Firefighters were dispatched at 7:16 a.m. to Prudential Overall Supply, 6997 Jurupa Ave., and reported a working fire in the warehouse held in check by the fire sprinkler system, Riverside Fire Department Battalion Chief Bruce Vanderhorst said.

“The fire is knocked down and crews are on scene overhauling,” Vanderhorst said. “Crews are working on ventilating, shutting down the sprinkler system and extensive mop up.”

Uncategorized

Dunkirk, NY – Sprinkler system at manufacturing plant extinguishes electrical fire

 An accidental fire at the Refresco plant at 1 Cliffstar Drive had city firefighters on the scene for two hours.

The Dunkirk Fire received an alarm activation call at 4:40 a.m. Friday. Upon investigation, plant maintenance reported smoke visible on the second floor of the plant office area.

Firefighters made entry and noticed the smoke condition. Hose lines were advanced and the fire was found in the ceiling above the second floor advancing into a third floor storage area.

The plant sprinkler system had activated and contained the fire to the general area of origin. Fire crews extinguished the remainder of visible fire and performed ventilation of smoke in the building.

East Dunkirk Fire and ALSTAR ambulance assisted at the fire with West Dunkirk Fire on standby.

Investigators from the City of Dunkirk and Chautauqua County determined the cause of the fire to be started by electrical wiring.

One firefighter was evaluated for a minor injury but remained on duty.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Falmouth, MA – Hotel fire doused by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A sprinkler system douse a fire in a room of a Falmouth hotel. Firefighters responded to a report of a structure fire at the InnSeasons Resort Surfside on Menauhant Road sometime after 5:30 PM. The fire was out when crews arrived and no injuries were reported. Inspectors were called to check damage from the fire and water damage from the sprinkler. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

In a statement, Falmouth Fire-Rescue tells CWN that 5:13 PM on July 13th, they responded to a fire at the InnSeason Resort Surfside, 134 Menauhant Road in East Falmouth. A guest was cooking on the stove and the oil caught fire. The guest tried to move the pan to the sink. This caused the fire to spread and activate the sprinkler system. The fire was put out by the single sprinkler head. After a quick investigation by the first arriving crew, the sprinkler system was shut down. The fire and smoke damage was limited to the kitchen area and the water from the sprinkler was contained to the room and the hallway directly outside the room.

This incident brings up 2 very important issues. The first being what to do when a pan catches fire. The best and safest way to extinguish a pan on fire is to place a lid on it and then turn off the stove. The lid will smother the fire by restricting the oxygen. Never move a burning pan, you can spread the fire. Never use water to put out a grease or oil fire, it will spread the fire.

The second important issue is that Sprinklers saves lives. This single sprinkler head protected not only the family staying in the room, but the other guests in the building. The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) have an ongoing campaign to increase the use of residential sprinklers.

Some facts about residential sprinklers from the NFPA:
• The civilian death rate was 81 percent lower in homes with fire sprinklers than in homes without them.
• The average firefighter injury rate was nearly 80 percent lower when fire sprinklers were present during fires.
• When sprinklers were present, fires were kept to the room of origin 97 percent of the time.
• The home fire death rate was 90 percent lower when fire sprinklers and hardwired smoke alarms were present. By comparison, this death rate is only 18 percent lower when battery-powered smoke alarms are present but automatic extinguishing systems weren’t.

Other - Retail, Retail

Vancouver, WA – Car on top of auto shop lift caught fire, kept in check by fire sprinklers

A fire sprinkler system helped check the spread of a vehicle fire at a Vancouver-area auto repair shop on Monday, according to the Vancouver Fire Department.

The blaze was reported as a commercial structure fire shortly after 4 p.m. at 7105 N.E. 40th Ave. after a car on top of an auto lift caught fire, the fire department said. Workers tried to put the fire out themselves but were pushed out by smoke.

The shop’s fire sprinkler system activated, keeping the fire in check until it could be extinguished by arriving firefighters. the department said.

No firefighters were injured, but one occupant of the business suffered minor burns to one of his hands. He declined medical treatment.

The fire is under investigation by the Clark County Fire Marshal’s Office.

Apartment Building, Residential

Colonial Heights, VA – Unattended apartment kitchen fire extinguished by fire sprinklers

An apartment catches on fire after cooking was left unattended in the kitchen.

On July 13 at 9:50 p.m., Colonial Heights Fire and EMS with Chesterfield Truck 12 were dispatched to the 200 block of Archer Avenue for an apartment fire.

Units arrived on the scene to find a fire in the kitchen had been extinguished by the fire sprinkler system.

Crews say minor damage was done to the apartment.

Two residents received burns after attempting to move the burning cookware from the stove to the sink.

The burns were non-life-threatening with one person being treated at the scene and the other was transported to MCV.

Occupants in the apartment and adjacent apartments were displaced. Red Cross was on scene to assist them if needed.